Scours in Calves - I'm New

[alecha100]

Good Morning! I have 6 calves that I'm tending to because their mothers stopped feeding them. We've been healthy up until two weeks ago. One started scouring and then another and another. Now all 6 are scouring. All are still eating well, but I'm not sure what to do. The first one to start scouring now has a small bloody discharge at times. All the others do not. I've started that one on meds for coccidiosis. Any suggestions on what to do with this small herd and the scour outbreak? I've never encountered this before so I'm open to suggestions. Thanks!

FYI -- I keep the drinking water cleaned nightly and poop scooped out nightly.

 

[CottageFarm]

:welcome:

There's lots of archive info on this board regarding bottle calves and scours (and lots of other stuff too!)
If you do a search for scours or bottle calves you'll find a wealth of information right now and won't have to wait for members' responses.

 

[msscamp]

Good Morning! I have 6 calves that I'm tending to because their mothers stopped feeding them. We've been healthy up until two weeks ago. One started scouring and then another and another. Now all 6 are scouring. All are still eating well, but I'm not sure what to do. The first one to start scouring now has a small bloody discharge at times. All the others do not. I've started that one on meds for coccidiosis. Any suggestions on what to do with this small herd and the scour outbreak? I've never encountered this before so I'm open to suggestions. Thanks!

FYI -- I keep the drinking water cleaned nightly and poop scooped out nightly.

How old are the calves? What color is the poop? What are you feeding them and how much? Get a fecal done for the one with bloody scours to confirm coccidiosis - a fecal is cheap and will tell you for sure whether coccidia is present or not. If it is, and you have not separated this calf from the rest, plan on treating the rest of them for coccidosis as well. How are the calves acting? Are they off feed, still eating, lethargic, or still playing and alert? Are the scours pasty or watery? If watery, you need to consider feeding them electrolytes to prevent dehydration and an upset in their metobolic balance. If you are feeding straight alfalfa hay, consider switching them to straight, good-quality grass and re-introduce the alfalfa slowly once they firm up. Better yet, once they firm up feed grass alfalfa mix - that way you can control how much grass and alfalfa they get. You might also try SMZ tablets according to the dosing instructions. There is another medication for scours, but it escapes me at the moment. Sorry. The following article deals with calf scours and should help you narrow down what the problem is.

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetext/in ... a0102.html

 

[Suzie Q]

6 cows stopped feeding their calves? If not because you separated them, I have never experienced that.

 

[terigro]

I learned fast that there are many reasons a calf can scour, first we all do not know until we all experiance it and what was the cause and if it really is scours. My first calf we thought was scours but she did not make it. Now on our third calf she was fine when she came home to us but sure enough the next morning we seen blood in her stool, now this was the second baby calf that we had this happen to us. I am bound and determined to save this ones life. First hydrate hydrate them inbetween their 2'xs of feedings a day, believe it or not I had a young lady tell me to try Gatorade 1 pint half gatorade half warm water. Then we give her (Scours & Pneumonia Treatment Advance, Calf medic medicated plus calf milk replacer) This is written on the bags we buy and they are not to expensive $2.00 and change. Her name is Gracy, yes we ended up naming her and our other one that lived her name is Lacy they both are our first beef cattle and hopefully they are going to be our breeders.
Well it has been 7 days now since Gracy at age one day and half we have had her on this treatment and she is doing great playing and eating some hay and drinking on her own. She had blood in her stool pretty bad that my husband tubed her her first night home. I think the gatorade has helped alot plus they like it alot. I was told also pedia light would work well in a pinch also. I am still praying she will keep on recovering but I thought I would share this with you maybe give you something to try out. We were told about the pills you can get for scours but the medicated milk replacer has more antibiotics in it and it turned out to work much better then the pills.
I wish you luck with your calf. Also I hope this can help you out in someway. :hat:

 

[ozarkbulls]

I use a product called Diaque. Much more success than with regular electrolyte supplements. seems to have an ingredient that firms them up after only one feeding. Expensive, but well worth it.
I use that at first sign of scours, next feeding if no improvement, I give them a shot of Excede, keep using Diaque, and show improvement within 18-24 hrs.
I don't care for the medicated replacer, IMO doesn't work fast enough and you risk the calf dehydtarting too quickly.

 

[dun]

I don't care for the medicated replacer, IMO doesn't work fast enough and you risk the calf dehydtarting too quickly.

Medicated replacer is not a treatment it's a supportive/preventative.

 

[terigro]

Thank you for your input,I will try what you have suggested if it happens again. We got lucky then. I am grateful to have found this board.